


Confidence and Confidants

by kokonutpineapple



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Evak - Freeform, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Possible smut, Sana Bakkoush & Isak Valtersen Friendship, Sana deserves happiness, The Balloon Squad, The world needs more Sana, one shots, they are my children
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2018-10-20 04:07:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10654581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kokonutpineapple/pseuds/kokonutpineapple
Summary: This is basically a bunch of season 4 and post season 3 one shots. The tags will probably change as season 4 progresses. Just a disclaimer, I don't own any of these characters. I'm writing this because the world deserves more Sana fanfics and I still love Evak. This is just a bunch of fluff because Sana should be happy. I might add some drama later on if things get a little boring.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My fanfiction skills are a little rusty, so I'm sorry if my grammar is horrendous. Sana and Isak chill in Biology the day after Easter break.

"What's up, Biology Bro?"

"No," Sana said coldly without glancing up from her paper.

"Sorry, sorry," replied Isak as he sat down in the seat next to her. "Halla Sana."

"Better," she smirked. "Halla Isak. You do realize that we had to finish that packet about meiosis over break right?"

"Fy fæn, we had to finish that?" Isak yelped.

"I thought you would say something like that."  
Sana sighed as she rifled through her backpack. "You're lucky that I'm here to save your ass." She handed him a completed packet from her folder.

"Takk," Isak responded. " How did you have time to do this? I barely had time to write my paper for German."

"Yeah, well some of us aren't perpetually making out with their boyfriend." She had meant it as a joke, but it still stung. Sana didn't need anymore reminders about Yousef. She couldn't blame Yousef anyway, Noora was perfect. Nevertheless, she brushed those thoughts aside and kept a straight face. 

"What about that party Eva posted about? Did you go to that? It looked pretty cool." 

"Like I'd enjoy going to a party with my brother and his annoying friends." The words left her mouth before she could register what she was saying. She froze. She had said too much. Ugh, here it comes.

"You have a brother?" Isak exclaimed incredulously. "How come I haven't heard about him before?"

"Because I don't go around sharing private information about myself to the entire student body. You of all people can understand." Sana did not want to have this conversation. If word got a round, it would be a repeat of what happened with the girls only bigger. The less girls swooning over her brother and his stupid friends the better.

"Sorry." Isak could definitely relate. A few months ago, he was adamant on keeping his sexuality a secret. If talking about her brother made Sana uncomfortable, he wouldn't bother her about it.  
"Even and I are watching Space Jam tonight. You can come over if you want."

"Spending an hour and a half watching you two feel each other up is not how I want to spend a Monday night."

"Okay, okay, we won't make out during the movie. Why does everyone think that all we do is kiss?" Isak grumbled.

"Because that is all you do."

"That was a rhetorical question. Seriously though, I promise we won't." 

"Then I'm in, but make sure to put chocolate on the popcorn."

"That's disgusting."

"Like you're a master chef. Even's told me about your terrible cooking ability."

"Fine," Isak huffed. "I'll text him right now. If I'm right, we eat normal popcorn. If you're right, we eat your gross popcorn." He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Even.

"Did you really have to put a heart next to his name?" Those two were the sappiest romantics Sana had ever met. Vilde was less sappy than them.

"Shut up." 

A few moments later, Isak's phone chimed with a response. Both Isak and Sana stared down at the screen to determine the winner of the argument. Even had sent two words. Sana's right.

"Ha, I told you I'm always right," smiled Sana.

"Fuck you."

Unfortunately for Isak, the teacher happened to be standing right in front of their table. Her hands were on her hips. Sana was surprised. The teacher actually managed to wear a bra for once. 

"Isak, foul language is not tolerated in my class," she scolded. "Now, I need your packets." She flipped through both of their packets. "Isak, this doesn't look like your handwriting."

"Um, that's because umm-" Isak was screwed. He was an awful liar.

"Isak sprained his wrist over break, and the doctor said he shouldn't use it. I went over to his house and helped him write down his answers," Sana declared. Someone had to save their skins. Isak had his best puppy dog expression on. He held out his wrist which luckily had a bruise from one of Even's many kisses. 

"Okay, thank you for telling me, and Isak, I hope your wrist heals." The teacher strolled over to another table.

"Ew, put your wrist down. How did you even get a hickey there?" Sana said disgusted. "You're lucky I'm here to cover for you." 

"I know, I know. Thank you so much."

"I'll always looks out for you," Sana smirked. "Biology bro."


	2. Space Jam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sana visits the Evak Apartment. They watch the timeless classic that i Space Jam. Milkshakes are made, and egos are hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own neither Space Jam nor Skam. I don't own any of the characters.  
> So I know this was supposed to be a collection of one shots, but I couldn't help myself. I'm a sucker for Spam Jam. A special shoutout to my friend, Zanaya, who helped me edit this. You are an amazing editor. Okay, that's all I gotta say. Enjoy!

Mandag 19:30  
Sana had been waiting outside Isaks apartment for five minutes. In that time, she rang his buzzer fifteen times, yelled his name seven times, and thrown three rocks at his window. As she wound up to throw the fourth rock, Isak head appeared from the windowsill. 

His hair stuck up at odd angles, and his trademark snapback was nowhere to be seen. His cheeks were flushed and even from here his lips looked wet. Sana had a good idea of what he was just doing. 

"Stop throwing rocks at my window, I can't afford to fix that shit," he yelled.

 

"Then stop making out and let me in.,” Sana motioned towards the door. “Are we watching Space Jam or what?"

Even emerged from behind Isak. His hair was just as messy as Isak's. He snaked an arm around Isak's shoulders, and Isak visibly relaxed into his embrace. "Halla Sana. Coming to watch Space Jam with us?"

"I would, but it looks like your boyfriend is too busy tonight.”

Isak began to protest, but Even rolled his eyes and pulled him in for another kiss. Their heads disappeared from view.

Sana threw her rock and it collided with the window. Thankfully, the sound was enough of a distraction, and the boys stopped kissing before she could hear moaning. 

"Hey,what did I say about throwing rocks at my window?!"

A few moments later, Sana was wandering through the Evak Apartment. To put it bluntly, it was filthy. Neither boy seemed to know how to wash their clothes. Either that, or they were simply too lazy too. Mountains of clothes littered the bedroom, but it was paradise compared to the kitchen. Their freezer was still on the fritz, and the refrigerator made a weird grumbling noise. All of their furniture was worn. The bathroom was the worst of all. The mirror had a crack, and there was an exposed wire hanging directly over the shower.

"I like to call it shockwire," said Isak almost as if he was proud, "because if you touch it, you die."

Sana rolled her eyes.

Finally, the trio curled up on the beaten down couch under a pile of blankets. Space Jam was about the play, but Even abruptly paused it. That earned him groans from both Isak and Sana.

“You know what would make this a little more fun?’

“Cheese toasties?” Isak teased.

“Even better, a drinking game,” Even said with a wide smirk.

Sana's face fell. She didn't want to ruin the night for the boys, but she just wanted one moment where everything didn't revolve around alcohol. This had all been a huge mistake.

"Oh no, Sana," Even said after noticing her distress. " I didn't mean it like that. I know you don't want to drink alcohol. It's not like that type of drinking game. I went to the store and bought 300 kr worth of junk food."

"You spent 300 kroner on candy!" sputtered Isak.

"Yes, but that's not the point. I challenge you to make the sugariest, grossest, unhealthiest milkshake known to man!" 

"You're. On." said Sana. Now this was a drinking game she could get into.

"I'm so going to win. I'm the milkshake king," said Isak.

"You said that about holding your breath too, and we all know you suck at that baby." Even laughed deflating Isak’s ego.

They headed over to the kitchen, where each contestant had ten minutes to create their concoction. When the time was up, everyone gathered to present their milkshakes. Isak was topped his off, inexplicably with some weird, sticky syrup. Sana was picking chocolate chips out of her hijab. Poor Even stood, coated head to toe powdered sugar.

Isak was the first to display his creation. "I would like to call this the gummy explosion milkshake. Basically, I melted all of the gummy products we had and poured them into a milkshake." He gleamed as he took a sip. He gagged, no longer with a smile. 

"Once again, you have proven you are no king," smirked Sana.

"Shut up Sanasol. I bet my milkshake is still way better than yours." Isak pouted and crossed his arms.

Next was Even. He stepped up in front of the judges. He shook his head, which dispersed a cloud of sugar into the air. "This is the chocolate cloud milkshake,” Even said with the passion of a five star chef. “ The fluffiness of the marshmallow is perfectly complimented by the richness of the chocolate. This is all topped with a light dusting of powdered sugar which-"

"We get it you're an artist. Just drink the fucking thing," said Isak.

Even looked at Sana, hoping she would come to his defense.

" Isabelle's right. Drink the milkshake."

Even made an elaborate show of elegantly sipping his milkshake. Even sighed in awe,  
"Utter perfection."

"Boo," yelled Isak giving Even a thumbs down.

Last but not least, it was Sana’s turn. Sana brought her milkshake onto the sticky kitchen counter. "This is my milkshake. It has chocolate chips, Nutella, and caramel bits. Obviously, it is superior to both of yours." Sana drank her milkshake. To her surprise, it was actually edible. Usually, her culinary creations leave much to be desired. 

Isak and Even also tried her milkshake. They looked at each other and nodded in tandem. "Yeah, Sana's is the best."

After the milkshake fiasco, they settled back into the couch. Each person agreed to take a drink whenever Michael Jordan failed to act, Bill Murray appeared randomly, and a dated pop culture reference was made. 

Isak was quite upset. "This is so unfair. Your drinks actually taste good, mine barely counts as food."

"Quit your bitching, drama queen. We're trying to watch Space Jam," scolded Sana.

As the end credits rolled, all three teenagers were slumped on the couch, clutching their stomachs. 

"Ughhh, Even why did I agree to this?" moaned Isak.

"Because you love me and I promised to fuck you every day for a week."

Sana promptly threw a pillow at Even's head. She checked her phone. It was 21:40. It was getting to be late for a school night, and her mom was probably worrying about her. She managed to find the strength to stand up and shuffle towards the door. 

Isak and Even were still tangled together on the couch, but from the mass of blankets there was a sound.

"Bye Sana. Tusen takk for coming over. We should do this again sometime," said Even as he gave a small wave.

"Bye Sana, see you in class tomorrow," mumbled Isak drowsily.

Sana smiled slightly. She walked out of their apartment building and into the night. She definitely would do that again.


	3. Los Losers's Europe Tour 2K17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew experiences some roadblocks when planning their trip to Morocco. Evak has a cranky neighbor. Magnus is simultaneously clueless and observant. Yousana will rise!!! Chris saves the day with her fabulous fashion skills and a cheque for 3000 kroner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi long time no see! The first thing I would like to establish is that I've kinda moved from one shots to short nonlinear story arc. This is the prelude to a story arc where everyone travels Europe. I'm still giving Evak their well deserved honeymoon in Morocco though. I wanted to have the Skam gang experience different environments and cultures. I'm using this arc to elaborate on the girl squad's attempts to understand what life is like for Sana as Muslim and give them more chances to prove that they support her since it was left somewhat unresolved in the show. I also wanted a chance to get the boy and girl squads together so I can create dynamics and subgroups that would normally be uncommon (ie Noora, Eva, and Jonas). This will probably be about 5 chapters long. The time period for this arc is this past July. I meant for it to be posted in July, but I was rlly busy with camps and summer stuff. Also, sry if the formatting is weird AO3 is not working with me. I wanted the texts to be from Chris's phone so I designated all of her texts with the sender "you" as in Chris. Sorry if its confusing. So i already have the next chapter done, but I'm going to post it next week so I can have some sort of schedule for myself. Anyways enjoy and reviews are always appreciated.

Prologue  
Chris was lying on her bed watching The Get Down on Netflix. Even and Isak had blown up the mega groupchat about it a few months ago. According to them, it had both breathtaking cinematography and really good hip hop. She had to admit that they were right, at least about the hip hop. She didn’t know shit about film. 

After her third consecutive episode, Chris turned off the TV and absently scrolled through her phone. She looked at the latest conversation she had with Vilde on her messages.

You: U going to Morocco?  
Vilde:Can’t  
I don’t have enough money for flight tickets  
I used it all on this month’s bills :(  
You: :( Maybe if u and I split the cost of the tickets?  
Vilde:No it’s fine  
Have fun in Morocco  
You:I’ll miss u  
I’ll skype u everyday  
Vilde : : )

Once Isak and Even decided to bring the boy squad to Morocco, word spread quickly throughout the giant group both squads formed. The group came to a silent consensus that it wouldn’t be as fun without the girl squad. Plus Sana knew Arabic, so that certainly helped. Secretly, the girls thought that letting Noora spend time in a country 4,237 kilometers away from William was good. Her phone buzzed with an incoming text.

Isak: Uhhhh guys  
We have a problem  
I got fined for possession

Mahdi: Wtf Isak, no one gets fined for possession

Even: Baby what happened? R u ok? I’m coming home rn

Isak: Even CHILL  
I’m not going to jail or anything  
Mrs. Lund from downstairs just called the cops on us

Even: Just called the cops?!?!?!?!

Noora: Why? Our neighbors never cared when you used to smoke in the collective

Isak: She never liked us because she thinks our “ wanton homosexual activities” are bringing the world closer to the apocalypse  
I think this was her revenge after we glitterbombed her house after the pride parade

Even: Worth it

Jonas: The next time I come over I am definitely giving her a piece of my mind

Sana: Agreed

Eva: Wait so what happened exactly?

Isak: The police came and confiscated all of the weed  
They said that since I’m a first time offender it wasn’t a big deal and I won’t have a criminal record

Magnus: No more weed? :((((((

Isak: That’s not the problem  
I got fined 1500 kroner  
You: Seriously? That’s overkill  
Jonas: Our criminal justice system is deeply flawed

Isak: Yeah apparently Mrs. Lund also called in several noise complaints and something about us being “hoodlums”

Mahdi: That’s it I’m fighting her

Even: She’s 90

Isak: GUYS! Focus  
We can plot our revenge later  
The big deal is that now we can’t afford to go to Morocco

Jonas: :(

Mahdi: :((

Eva: I will smuggle you in my suitcase

Even: Yeah you’re small enough to fit

Isak: Ugh  
So wait the whole thing’s off now?

Just as Chris sent the text the was a notification from her email account. She rarely sent email and she is notoriously bad at responding to them, so this was unusual. She opened up her email on her phone to scroll through her inbox. So far, all Chris saw were the same spam mail ads about weight loss serums and diet pills. Chris should probably delete her account. Then she saw her latest email from someone named Liv Vik. Curious, Chris opened the email.

Dear Ms. Berg,  
We are delighted to inform you that the fashion designs you submitted to Fryktløs’s young designer competition have been selected as a winner. Our panel of designers have chosen your designs because of their vibrant, unique style and inclusivity. We would like to showcase your outfits in our upcoming summer line. As a prize, we would like to award you with 3000 kr. A cheque has been mailed to your place of residence. Thank you in participating in our competition and congratulations on your win.  
Sincerely,  
Liv Vik  
Fryktløs CEO

Chris was stunned. She had forgotten that she had submitted some of her outfit ideas to her favorite brand. Wow, russ bus drama takes up a lot of memory. Chris has always loved fashion. She used to spend hours sewing tiny clothes for all of her dolls. Once she started school though, people began to bully her because of the way she looked. Chris also found it hard to find any clothes her size that appealed to her. when she was 13, her mom bought her a sewing machine for her birthday. With the exception of her Fryktløs clothes, Chris designs and sews all of her clothes. 

Chris was proud of herself and more importantly, she was proud of her friends. She knew that living in a majority white, atheist country came with hardships for Sana. She also knew that her best friend had a kickass style that Sana never held back. Chris had occasionally caught Sana eyeballing some of the clothes at Gunerius when they hung out there. She loved Sana, and her best friend deserved to express herself. So, she sent Fryktløs outfits she that thought would give girls like her and Sana an outlet to express their identity. After the shock of winning the competition wore off, she remembered the bit about the prize money. 3000 kroner. That was double what everyone needed to go to Morocco. 

She tore through her mail and pulled out the check. 3000 kroner! Then Chris had a crazy idea. Maybe it was the adrenaline rush that came with her victory, maybe it was a divine epiphany who knows. She rummaged through her backpack and whipped out her calculator. The rest of the night was spent running numbers and searching the web to find the cheapest flights, hostels, and attractions available in the top cities in Europe. After two hours of mind numbing math and research, Chris had all the info she needed to organize Los Losers’s European Vacation 2K17. But first, she needed to text Vilde.  
You: Guess what  
I won a design competition  
Vilde: Omg  
I’m so happy  
:))))))))  
You: Wait I haven’t even told you the best part  
?  
I won 3000 kr  
And I did some math with my prize money and some of my salary we can all go on a tour of Europe!  
Vilde: Chris  
Ily but I still can’t go  
I don’t want u to feel like u have to give me money  
I’m doing fine on my own  
Rlly its ok  
I don’t feel like I owe u anything  
You: U r one of my BFFs  
And I know that u work ur ass off everyday  
With kosegruppa  
And ur mom  
And bills  
And Los Losers  
Ily too and I told u that if u need someone Im there  
And u deserve to relax and chill  
Even if it’s just for a month  
Bc u deserve it and we all love u  
And it won’t be the same without u  
Vilde: Ok  
I’ll go  
Just pls don’t tell anyone about this  
K?  
You: :)  
Vilde: ;)

Chris smiled down at her phone. Time to put her plan together.  
Los Losers og los hombres  
You: Guys I have some great news  
Eva: ?  
Noora: What is it?  
Magnus: Tell ussssssssssssss  
You: Ok ok Mags calm down  
Drumroll pls Vilde  
Vilde: *loud drumroll*  
I WON FRYKTLØS’S DESIGN COMPETITION!!  
Eva: YOU GO GIRL  
Sana: Chris that’s amazing!  
Congratulations!

Noora: Ja Chris that’s fantastic  
You: Hold up  
I haven’t gotten to the best part  
So I did some math and with the money I won and my latest paycheck  
We can all afford to travel around Europe for a month!!  
Eva: OMG CHRIS ILYSM 

Vilde: :))))))))))))))))))

Magnus: EVAK WORLD TOUR 2K17 HAS RETURNED

Jonas: I will sell some of my weed to help pay

Mahdi: Bro not the weed

Jonas: Dude yes the weed  
Its for a good cause

Mahdi: tru  
U can prob sell it to some desperate first years for twice the price

Jonas: this is the type of capitalistic scheming that is ruining our economy  
But yeah thats the plan

Magnus: Where is Evak anyway?

Sana: U rlly had to ask smh

Jonas: Dude serr ?!?

Magnus: What

Mahdi: Mags it’s 23:00 on a Friday night

Magnus: So?  
*facepalms*  
Eva: Even is off tomorrow

Noora: Isak texted the group chat that they were busy tonight

Magnus: And?

Vilde: Baby you’re perfect but really?

Sana: I can’t take this anymore  
Isak and Even are fucking

Magnus: ohhhhhhh  
Y didn’t u say that in the first place

Chris exited the chat and plugged her phone into her charger. She changed into her unicorn onesie and snuggled into her bed. She was twenty minutes into The Get Down episode four when her phone started vibrating again.

Isak: Ok what did I miss  
You: Scroll up  
Isak: CHRIS THANK YOU SO MUCH  
Rlly this is awesome!

Even: u didn’t need to do this  
You: No you guys deserve a honeymoon  
And the rest of us deserve a month long party  
Isak: It’s not a honeymoon 

Even: It kinda is tho …

Isak: We aren’t even married

Sana: U kinda are tho… 

Jonas: U told me last week that u can barely spend a second away from him

Even: Awww baby 

Eva: U guys r so sweet

Vilde: this is so cute !!! I love Evak

Magnus: OTP

Isak: I told u that in confidence  
And i was totally baked  
You: Were u tho?  
Isak: Y is everyone so mean to me

Even: bc u r too cute and soft

Sana: its true whenever u get embarrassed you’re like a little baby  
Its rlly funny

Isak: I’m not a baby

Eva: Umm throwback to first year

Jonas: haha accurate

Even: u r my baby

Isak: ugh stop Even 

Even: I can see u blushing

Magnus: i still think we should market this to NRK

Noora: did i mention eskild call him baby gay

Isak: noooooooo whyyyyyy

You have renamed this chat “Baby Gay and his devoted fans”  
Isak: Chris!

Mahdi: It’s so much fun making fun of Isak

Isak: Ugh can we get back to our honeymoon thing

Okay where should we go?  
Sana: Turkey

Eva: ; )

Vilde: ; )

; )  
Noora: ; )

Isak: ; )

Even: ; )

Jonas: what is going on?

Sana: I want to go to Turkey to visit the Hagia Sophia  
Plus it has a very different culture from Norway  
We’d all benefit from experiencing such a unique, historic culture

Sure Jan  
Noora: Is there anything else u want to visit in Turkey?

Sana: no

Even: a certain friend of mine  
One of my old Bakka guys

Sana: No.

R u sure about that  
Jonas: is anyone else lost?

Mahdi: me

Isak: Sana admit it  
U want to see him

Mahdi: Who? Im so confused

Magnus: Omg u guys r so oblivious  
Sana wants to see Yousef

Jonas: Wait what?

Mahdi: U guys r a thing?

Jonas: and how does Mags know before us?

Magnus: Dude i hang out w the girl squad like every other day  
Eventually u pick up on things  
Also yousana is my #2 OTP

Sana: Thank you I guess

Vilde: So let’s go to Turkey and reunite Sana with her love

So we all agree on Turkey?

It was a unanimous agreement. 

Isak: Any other places besides Turkey and Morocco?

Noora: When I lived in Madrid i would go to Barcelona sometimes

Even: I’ve always wanted to go there  
The art scene is rlly cool

Vilde: Jonas do u have any relatives there?  
Maybe we could stay at their house?

Jonas: My dad’s family is Chilean not Spanish

Vilde: Oh sry

Eva: My mom went to Lisbon once for her job  
I heard the food is great and so is the music

After more research, the group decided to spend a week in each city. They would start in Barcelona, then Lisbon, Marrakesh, and finally Istanbul. Sana texted Yousef, and he said that they could stay with him in Istanbul. Sana’s family also offered to let the squad stay with their relatives in Marrakesh. Immediately after everything was decided, Chris began to pack her bags. She had feeling that this summer was going to be epic.


	4. Barcelona

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sana make a new friend. They bond over coffee and some shopping. Sana goes on a tour of Barcelona's many districts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this chapter written for awhile, but due to the recent terror attack I think that it is even more important to publish this. To all the dead, may they rest in peace. To all others affected in any way, I express my deepest condolences and sadness. Barcelona is one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. The locals have such a strong community and I hope that everyone visting or living in Barcelona will help the city heal after this tragedy. But I have no doubt that Barcelona will continue to be as wonderful as ever. I would like to take a chance to remind everyone that even though this awful attack happened, please do not use this to spread Islamophobia. It would be a disgrace to mark Barcelona with any hatred. This chapter is my love letter to Barcelona, I visited Barcelona almost three years ago, and I loved it. The food, the people, and the architecture were amazing. Unlike in America, I stayed in the Born district which was full of artisans who painstakingly handmade everything they sold. I have never bought anything more high quality and pretty. Barcelona is one of my favorite cities in the world, and hopefully I will get a chance to visit it again. Another note, I know that in Barcelona they speak Catalan but I made some of characters speak in Spanish because I am learning the language. I do not trust google translate to provide me with accurate Catalan. If I have made a mistake either in my Spanish or anything else please comment or message me and I will fix it immediately. Anyways, enjoy this chapter it was my favorite one to write. As always, reviews and comments are much appreciated.

Sana was strolling through street of the Raval district of Barcelona. Everyone was staying in a youth hostel in the Born district for a week.

They had been here for barely a day, and already everyone has a different agenda. Eva and Vilde were on a shopping spree. Mahdi, Magnus, Even, and Isak were at some dumb tourist trap museum on Las Ramblas. Chris wanted to hit the beach. Noora and Jonas, surprisingly, decided to go to the market together. Noora was the only one that was willing to cook, and Jonas refused to eat anything that wasn't local. This left Sana wandering aimlessly around the neighborhood. 

Adjusting her sunglasses, she scanned the block for a cafe. The jet lag had done a number on her, and caffeine was the only solution. One cafe caught her eye. It was tucked into a narrow cobblestone side street. The facade was a striking turquoise and the door was made of polished wood. In curly gold lettering was the name, El Cafe Alhambra. The entire cafe had the sweet aroma of cinnamon and chocolate. 

As Sana stepped inside, she noticed the walls were a mustard yellow stucco. The furniture was a hodge podge of salvaged tables and chairs. A large Pakistani flag hung on the lefthand wall. Most beautiful were the tiles with royal blue flower designs on a cream background lining the floors. Obviously they were handmade because no machine could replicate the work of an artist. They covered the entire floor, each tile full of intricate blossoms and vines.

"I see you like the tiling. My dad bought them in Pakistan."

Sana was startled. She looked up to see the barista leaning on the counter. She was a slim Pakistani girl wearing a gauzy, peacock green hijab. 

“What can I get you?” 

Sana quickly scanned the menu posted on the wall behind the barista.

“Can I have an espresso?”

“Enseguida, amiga.”

Sana sat at one of the tables as the girl made her coffee. Sana picked at the fraying edge of her black t-shirt and listened to the hiss of the espresso maker. She had a million thoughts racing through her mind. She tried to focus on the more positive thoughts, but she somehow managed to obsess over that one, ever present fear wedged in the back of her brain. Was she too different from her friends? Would they end up leaving her for someone more like them? More Norwegian? What if they- her alarm for Duhr went off. The call to prayer echoed throughout the cozy cafe.

The barista materialized from the back carrying a large sack of coffee beans. She set the sack down next to the coffee grinder and carefully carried Sana’s espresso over to the table.

“It’s time for Duhr already?” she asked. She pulled her phone out of the oversized pocket of her navy cardigan. “My alarm must be off.”

She gestured for Sana to follow her. “Come on, we can pray in the back room. I think we have some prayer rugs there.”

Sana stared bewildered at her. This girl was seriously asking her to follow her even though she was a complete stranger. Did she think Sana was completely naive?

“Hey, I know that look,” the strange girl teased. “I’m not going to kidnap you. My name’s Amira. I like your hijab by the way.”

“Um, thanks,” Sana replied, subconsciously touching her headscarf. She had been caught off guard. In Norway, it was rare for someone to compliment her hijab, most people were uneasy about it. 

“This is the part of the conversation where you tell you me your name.” Amira’s lips quirked up slightly.

“Oh, my name’s Sana.”

“Okay, Sana, now that we know each other,” Amira arched her eyebrow, “Will you pray with me now?”

Sana looked down at her phone again. No new messages. In a rare moment of impulsiveness, she decided fuck it.

“Fine,” Sana sighed.

“Cool, follow me.” Amira stood up and walked briskly to the doorway leading to the back. Then, she looked over her shoulder. “Duhr awaits.”  
After they had completed Duhr, Sana returned to the front of the cafe to find her espresso still warm. It was fantastic. Much better than anything she could get at KB. She casually sipped it while scrolling through her instagram feed. A picture of Vilde carrying several shopping bags on her shoulder. Sip. Eva sipping bubble tea wearing a new hat. Sip. Magnus wearing a cheesy, gift shop mask. Sip. Isak next to a street performer. Sip. Suddenly, the table wobbled under her elbow. Her arm jerked and the rest of her espresso spilled all over her.

“ I’m so sorry.” Amira was frantically apologizing. “My leg bumped the table while I was cleaning it.”

‘It’s fine,” replied Sana. She stood up and turned towards the door. It was time for her to leave anyway. 

“There is no way you are leaving right now,” commanded Amira. “Look, even your hijab’s soaked.”

She was right of course. The coffee has leaked through her hijab and left a sticky residue on her skin.

“It’s okay, it’ll dry soon,” Sana said nonchalantly. She waved her hand dismissively. She would have needed to return to the flat eventually.

“You’re not from around here are you,” said Amira suddenly.

“No,” Sana replied forcefully. Now she was getting suspicious.

“Oh please.” Amira rolled her eyes. “You haven’t spoken a word of Spanish since you came in here. Obviously, you’re a foreigner.”

“Yeah, so I’m a foreigner. Do you have a problem with that?” Sana bit out icily.

“No, it just further supports my argument that you should stay so I can help you buy a new hijab.”

“Do you want to be a lawyer or something?”

“A botanist actually, I just like winning arguments.”

“So do I. Shouldn’t you be working?”

“It’s a slow day. Plus, I’m sure Baba won’t mind if I leave work to help a fellow Muslim in need.”

“I don’t have any money.”

“You paid for your espresso in cash, Sana.”

“How do I know you aren’t planning to kill me?”

“You don’t, that’s the fun part.”

Damn, this girl was good. 

“Come onnnnn, Sana. I saw you checking your phone, you don’t have anything better to do.”

Though Sana would never admit this aloud, Amira was right. She tried to ignore the tiny speck of pain that flared up in her chest.

“Fine. Only until 15:30.”

“Ha, I won.” Amira was grinning ear to ear, now. Sana shot her an icy glare. 

“See, further proof that you need my help. You need to lighten up amiga.”

Sana continued to glare at Amira. Amira finally relented, putting her hands up in surrender.

“You know, this doesn't change anything. I'm still sticking to the original deal.”

Then, she wrapped her hand around Sana's wrist in an iron grip. She pulled her out of her chair and out the cafe door like a gust of wind. 

They walked the old, cobblestone alleys of the Raval district looking for any obscure, bohemian shop that caught their eye. Amira forced her to take a picture of herself with El Gat del Raval.

“It’s time you start acting like a real tourist,” Amira chided mockingly.

Then, they wandered through the Barri Gotic. Sana felt dwarfed by the imposing gothic buildings towering over her.

They walked as far the Born district, but by then, their feet began to ache. Amira took it upon herself to rent bikes for themselves, much to Sana’s disdain.

“I have money,” Sana insisted, holding several euros in her hand.

Amira simply swatted her hand out her way.

“Nope, I want you to save your money for something amazing. Something to remember Barcelona.”

They rode their bikes through the streets of Barcelona. The sunlight warmed Sana’s back while the ocean breeze ruffled her hijab, the layers of fabric flowing behind her. Occasionally, Amira, who was leading the way, would turn her head to grin at Sana. 

They zig zagged through neighborhoods and avenue until Amira stopped in front of the gates of a sprawling park. 

“As your self appointed tour guide, I decided that I should show you my favorite place in Barcelona. Feast your eyes on el Parc de la Ciutadella.”

“It’s nice.”

Amira’s eyes bugged out, and her jaw dropped.

“That’s it. It’s nice..This is blasphemy, I could have you killed for this. Besides, you haven’t even gotten the proper tour yet.”

For once, Sana was wrong. The park was magnificent. It felt like she was in the garden of a opulent monarch. It was beautiful and picture-perfect. Vibrant green parakeets flew over her head. The most stunning sight was the grand fountain in the center of the park. The gold horses at the top of the fountain glittered. The three griffins at the base were meticulously sculpted with the finest stone. The statue of the birth of Venus was surrounded by a mountain of vines and greenery. The sun shone perfectly so it hit the spray from the fountains in a way that it created little rainbows.

Amira and Sana casually strolled through the park until they came to an small pond where Amira insisted they rent a rowboat. As the neared the middle of the lake, Amira stopped rowing.

“So, Sana, are you finally ready to admit I was right? Isn’t this place totally cool?”

Sana looked away pointedly.

“Fine if you’re going to be that way.”

Amira stood up and began to rock the boat. Sana panicked and held onto the gunnels for dear life. 

“Amira, stop I don’t want to fall in.”

“Not until you admit I’m right.”  
The boat tilted threateningly to the right, and Sana’s body was almost parallel to the water.

“Okay, okay fine. You were right. This place is wonderful.”

“See, I knew you’d come around.”

Amira had stopped rocking the boat, but she was still standing. Quickly, Sana grabbed the side of the boat and pulled with all of her strength. Amira promptly stumbled and landed butt first into the pond.

“Sana! My clothes are soaked.”

Sana helped Amira out of the water, and she sat, dripping water, next to Sana.

“You know, this is where I took my girlfriend on our first date.”

“That’s very romantic. And cliche.”

“What can I say, I’m a lover not a fighter. We’ve been together for three months now.”

“That’s sweet. Your girlfriend is very lucky.” Sana was genuinely happy for her friend. Though she was still virtually a stranger, Sana could tell that Amira was a good person.

“Thanks. My parents actually introduced her to me. Her dad was my mom’s best friend back in Pakistan. When they immigrated here, they didn’t have a lot of money, so she worked with me at the cafe. My parents are convinced we’re going to get married.”

“Do you think you are?”

“I think so. I mean, I’ve had girlfriends before, but it felt different. I could feel deep down, that they were temporary. Like, when I see her, it feels like the universe is screaming in my ear that’s she’s the one. You know? Like, I know that even if she lived a million kilometers away, I’d still love her. It’s like I get this feeling that if I was given a choice between one million people, I’d always choose her. Ugh, I sound lame.”

Suddenly, Sana was reminded of a boy a million kilometers away in Turkey. 

“No, well maybe a little, but if you love her that strongly, you should do what you want. Fuck haters, you go girl.” 

After Amira was considerably less damp, they left El Parc de la Ciutadella and rode their bikes back to the rental shop. They wandered aimlessly through the neighborhood.  
Adjusting her sunglasses, Sana scanned the block for a place to relax. One thing caught her eye. It was tucked into the corner of a boutique’s window. It was a beautiful rose colored hijab scarf with cream colored lace overlaying the fabric. Amira appeared behind her and followed her gaze.

“That’s really pretty, you should buy it.”

“It’s not really my style, and it might be too expensive.”

“Oh come on, I can tell you like it. I told you that you should save your money for something amazing. That’s it.”

“Do you really think I should get it?”

“Yes, girl. Take a risk.”

Summoning her steel, she entered the shop and walked to where the hijab was modeled on a mannequin. She fingered the soft, delicate fabric. Close up, she could see the floral pattern the lace made. She walked over to the table where the owner sat.

“Excuse me, I’d like to buy this scarf.”

“Lo siento, pero yo no hablo ingles.”

“Um, Amira can you translate.”

“She says she doesn’t speak English. Don’t worry, I got you covered. Permítame señorita, ella comprará el hiyab por favor.”

“Bueno, el hiyab compra quince euros.”

“She says it costs fifteen euros.” 

Sana paid the fifteen euros, while the woman gently folded the hijab and put it in a bag for her.

As they were leaving, the woman smiled at her and said something to Amira in rapid fire Spanish.

When they finally reached El Cafe Alhambra, the sunset had turned the sky orange. Amira hugged Sana much longer that what would be normally acceptable for people who only met that afternoon. She gave Sana her contact information along with her instagram username.

“We’ll probably never see each other face to face again,” Sana said forlornly.

“I’m going to miss you.”

“ I’m going to miss you too.”

Sana hugged her one more time, then she began to walk away. She stopped to glance at her 256 unopened messages from her friends. She replied with a quick, ‘I’m okay just made a new friend’. She continued her stroll back to the hostel, Vilde saved some of her churro for her. From behind her she heard Amira shout, “By the way, the lady from the shop said that you will look beautiful with that scarf.”


	5. Lisbon Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Los Losers take on Lisboa. I made it into a two part story, expect Part 2 within the next three weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heiiiiiiiiiiiii, so yeah sophomore year is kicking my ass (nothin like AP Lit to stress a girl out) so I haven't had a lot of time to post. Once field hockey season ends though, I'll definitely start posting more regularly. As I said in the summary, I've made this into a two part story, mostly because I have one part finished and you guys have been so patient. I've split it into a day part and a night part. I visited Lisboa two weeks ago, and I loved it there. Coincidentally, Marlon Langeland visited Portugal to week after I went there. Idk why I said that I'm just salty that I missed my oppurtunity to meet a really cool actor.The food was great, especially the seafood. I would also recommend the pasteis de nata, which are Portuguese custard tarts. If any of you are travelling to Lisbon, my favorite place for pastries was this place called Mesa Com Pão. Okay, time to stop gushing about Portugal (seriously tho it's lit). If you find any errors feel free to comment and give corrections. Hope you enjoy!- Kiera

“Magnus, if you don’t like sardines, why did you eat seven tins of them?” chided Noora.

“Mahdi said he would go with me to Pastels de Bulimia if I ate ten of them,” whined Magnus as he clutched his stomach.

“I think you mean Pasteis de Belem," corrected Eva.

“Pastels, pasteis whatever. I need a bathroom.”

Everyone had been walking back to their hostel after lunch when Magnus had suddenly doubled over and vomited. Noora made sure she was a meter away from him at all times.

There was a loud sigh of relief from the group once they reached the door of their hostel. Magnus immediately limped to the bathroom. Judging from the sounds she could hear, he was very sick.

“So what are we going to do now that Mags is out of commision?” asked Mahdi.

“Woah, woah woah,” lectured Jonas, “ There is no we. You got him sick, so you have to take care of him.”

“That’s not fair. He chose to eat those sardines.”

Noora stepped in between the two bickering boys. She puts her hands up in a gesture of peace.

“We should come to a decision as a group. All in favor of Mahdi both figuratively and literally cleaning up his mess raise your hand.”

Seven hands were held up. It seemed like no one was keen on babysitting a queasy Magnus. Vilde seemed on the fence, until there was a rather thunderous retch from the bathroom. Her hand quickly shot up. 

Mahdi looked around desperately for support. Seeing none, he lowered his head and sighed. Rolling up his sleeves, he trudged towards the restroom with as much dignity as a glorified janitor could.

“Now that we’ve resolved that, what are we going to do?” 

“We can do a street art tour,” suggested Jonas.

“Nei, I refuse to do anything art related with these two pretentious assholes,” Isak avowed. He looked pointedly at Jonas and Even.

“I gotta agree with Isak,” added Eva. “Ultimately, Jonas and Even will be caught in some deep philosophical discussion while everyone else is totally lost.” 

“Fine make fun of the socialist,” grumbled Jonas. 

“Wait, I think I have an idea,” Vilde suggested as she typed frantically on her phone. Everyone crowded around her to see her screen. 

“According to americancutietravelblog.com, one of the must see attractions in Lisbon is the Igreja Sao Domingo.” Vilde’s phone was opened to a photo of a dilapidated church. 

“I don’t think you can go in there,” inferred Noora. “ It looks like it’s abandoned”

“Yes, you can,” countered Vilde. “ It says right here that it reopened in 1994.”

“How much do you trust this americancutietravelblog? It looks like it’s pretty run down to me,” Eva admonished.

“Americancutietravelblog.com has not failed me yet. I went to all the best stores in Barcelona thanks to its data.”

“You accidentally bought a counterfeit Louis Vuitton purse.”

“Well it looked real to me,” Vilde huffed. “If you don’t want to go fine, but I think you are all passing up a great educational oppurtunity.”

From the back of the group huddle, Sana cleared her throat. Immediately, all arguments stopped as everyone waited to hear what she had to say.

“Actually, I think Vilde makes a good point. The point of this whole holiday was to experience different cultures and perspectives.”

“And to catch some sun,” added Jonas.

“And go to some awesome clubs and bars,” chimed Eva.

“Yes that too. Anyway, I agree with Vilde. There is definitely an educational merit to visiting a historic church. Personally, I’ve never physically been inside a church. I’m curious as to how different it is from a mosque.”

“We can asked Mahdi,” Vilde chirped. She bounded over to the bathroom door and knocked politely. “Eh, Mahdi?”

“What?” he groaned.

“How different are Catholic churches from mosques and Churches of Norway?”

“I don’t know, they’re probably about the same as Churches of Norway. Mosques I think-”

Mahdi was interrupted by a heaving noise.

“Buddy, not the shoes!”

Vilde creeped away from the door. 

“Okayyyy, I think I’ll just leave him to it.”

“Back to the church thing,” Noora prompted.

“Anywhere Villy goes I go,” declared Chris. “Plus, that church looks creepy as hell.”

“We should vote again,” instructed Noora.

“All in favor of going to a creepy church that could potentially collapse on us raise your hands,” Eva announced.

Vilde, Chris, and Sana raised their hands. Sana glanced at Even.

“I bet this church has some great photo ops. You could make a collage.”

“I guess I could use the church’s decay to symbolize the slow decline of Christianity in Norway.”

Even raised his hand.

“Isak, please,” Vilde whimpered. She pouted her lips and batted her eyes like a chid begging for candy.

“Ugh, fine,” whined Isak raising his hand.

Vilde turned to whisper in Chris’s ear. “Works everytime.”

“Jonas?”

“I’m sorry I gotta stick with Eva.”

“Aw, thanks babe.”

“No problem babe.”

“Do you see what I had to deal with for half a year? It was insufferable,” moaned Isak.

“Isak you are literally cuddling Even whiles he’s kissing your hair,” Eva pointed out.

Isak just pouted and buried his head further into Even’s shoulder. Even hummed as began to stroke Isak’s back. Isak cooed.

“You’re like a little baby.”

“Shut up Jonas.”

“Ummm can we focus?” stressed Vilde. “We have the majority, so we’re going to Igreja São Domingos.”

“Awww yeah, creepy church here I come,” Chris cheered. 

“This is a terrible idea,” groaned Eva.

The gang stood at the large wooden doors of the church. In the daylight, the church would not have looked intimidating, but a previously blue sky had suddenly clouded over. Dark, churning clouds blanketed the city, and the smell of oncoming rain hung in the air.

“Well, it’s too far to walk back to the hostel, so we have no choice except to wait out the storm in here,” reasoned Noora.  
They pushed open the doors as the first droplets of rain hit the square behind them. The light drizzle quickly escalated a torrential downpour. Everyone rushed inside to avoid the sheets of rain being pelted at them. 

Once inside, the sound of thunder echoed throughout the church like the sound of drums. Wind slammed the entrance shut with a bang depriving them of any light.

“I can’t see shit in here,” protested Isak.

“Don’t worry baby, I got you,” reassured Even.

“No you don’t.”

“Wait then who am I massaging?”

“That would be me.”

“What? Jonas!”

“You give really good stomach rubs.”

“Dude I kissed your hair.”

“I know.”

“Stop flirting with my boyfriend!”

Sana’s phone light illuminated the scene before her. Even had his arms wrapped around Jonas’s waist with his hands tucked under Jonas’s shirt on his stomach. With his eyes wide as saucers, he looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Jonas, apparently, didn’t mind the compromising position if it meant receiving one of Even’s famous massages. Isak was fuming in the background like a jealous kitten. 

“Baby, I’m sorry. I thought it was you.” 

Even released Jonas, and reached out towards Isak.

“I don’t care. I can’t believe you felt up my best friend.”

“Baby, how can I make it up to you?” Even sighed, exasperated.

“By doing this.”

Isak marched over to Even and pulled him into a breathtaking kiss. Even’s eyes closed and his hands moved to rip off Isak’s snapback. Isak smiled and plunged his hands under Even’s t shirt to trace his spine. Even began to-

Sana fumbled with her phone and immediately shut of the light. Still, the sounds of heavy kissing could be heard throughout the church.

“Ugh what did I do to be trapped in a church with those two idiots?” cried Eva.

“And suddenly I regret my decision to go into the creepy church,” said Chris.

The gross sounds continued until there was a shuffling of feet and a large crash. Sana’s phone light switched on. Even was on the ground on a pile of wood that used to be a chair.

“And karma prevails,” she smirked.

“Okay, maybe we should move away from the door and find somewhere to sit.”

The gang made a circle in the center of the church using the chairs facing the altar. The faint light of countless prayer candles made the scene seem simultaneously eerie and comforting.

"I never knew how similar the architecture was between mosques and churches. I noticed that this church has a lot of arches and domes, it reminds me of my mosque back home."

"Well I know that most churches were created in the Gothic style, which is different from Arabic styles of architecture, but the Iberian peninsula did receive a lot of influence from the Muslim world. I wouldn't be surprised if some architecture in similar. Plus, arches and domes are very structurally sound, so its no surprise that they would be present in large building like mosques and churches," explained Noora.

"Yeah, but they're both really unique places of worship. For example, my mosque is covered in carpet, but this place has marble tiling. I also noticed that there are a lot of statues and paintings of Jesus and saints, but in mosques, we only have calligraphy on the walls." 

"Wow that's really cool Sana, I didn't know that," said Vilde.

"Yeah, you guys should come to my mosque sometime," said Sana.

"We'd love to," replied Chris. 

Even in the dark, the girls knew that Sana was smiling.

“Oh, it’s so kose here,” chirped Vilde. Her face was illuminated by the cluster of prayer candles she stood next to.

“More like extremely creepy,” shuddered Eva.

“I told everyone that this is a bad idea, but did anyone listen to me? Noooo, we just had to go into the spooky church,” Noora scolded.

“This feels like a scene from a horror movie.”

“Not helping Chris.”

“Okay, at least you’re not the blonde girl. I would totally die first in a horror movie.”

“Excuse you Vilde, I'm the token Latino/ minority guy, I will definitely get killed first.”

“Lucky for me, there are no hijabi characters in horror movies, so I’m assuming I’d survive.”

“Yeah, there’s no way Sana dies first in any scary movie situation.”

“Hey, do you know who really dies first in a horror movie?” smirks Eva. “The gross, lovesick couple.”

“Waitttt, where are Isak and Even anyways?”

“Wait, what if there really is some crazy ghost haunting this place? Oh my god, what if they’re dead?!?!?!” 

Vilde continued to panic, and the rest of the group began to shift uncomfortably in their seats. Eva, the most superstitious, also began to feel a sense of dread. The two girls scooted closer to one another. Even Noora began to fidget and look around. As the atmosphere turned towards a state of all out fear, a strange sucking noise could be heard from the far corner of the church. 

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Chris lamented.

“Seriously again? You two are real mature,” reprimanded Sana. As the couple walked back to the circle in shame, she shot them her iciest look yet. She swore she saw Even’s hair raise when he made eye contact.

“For the good of my sanity, I think we should seperate you two .” 

Noora also levelled a frigid glare at the two boys. Together, Noora and Sana made up an impenetrable wall of authority that no one dared question.

“Can I please sit on Isak?”

“What, no Eva. You’re so heavy.”

“It’s not my fault that you decided to make out with your hot boyfriend twice in ten minutes.”

There was a yelp of surprise from Isak as Eva plopped herself unceremoniously on him.  
He struggled under her weight, but Eva remained seated atop him. Brushing her ginger hair away from his face he wheezed, “Eva, I can barely breath here.”

“That’s because you have the build of a limp noodle,” joked Chris.

“Oh, shut up, I’m ripped.”

“While Isak does have the body of a skinny white boy, in his defense, he is in fact quite strong,” said Even. “I mean, he can do a squat with me on his shoulders.”

“No way.” 

Jonas shook his head.

“Yes way,” Isak fired back.

“Prove it then,” scoffed Sana. 

“Fine.”

“Fine. Winner gets to decide where we go after the storm clears up.”

“Deal,” said Isak.

Sana and Isak shook hands, scowling at each other. They both crossed their hearts and interlocked their pinkies, validating the competition to the heavens above.

Noora sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

“Why is it always a competition with you two?”

Isak stomped over to Even and gestured for him to stand up. While Isak was quite tall, Even was even taller. It made the bet appear entirely in Sana’s favor. Nevertheless, Even moved into place behind Isak and rest his lanky legs on Isak’s crouched form. 

Isak face was scrunched up in intense concentration. His arms were wrapped around Even’s calves and his hands were clenched together. Everyone saw his abdominal muscles contract and his thighs tremble. However, Isak fought through the pain and slowly his legs extended. Even rose in the air as Isak reached his full height. The group stared in awed while Isak managed to do 4 squats with Even balanced on his shoulders. Sana's eyes grew wide in genuine shock, her mouth parting slightly like a fish. 

Isak’s face was an angry red as Even slid off of him. He stood up and placed his arms over his head. After a few deep breathes, he turned to Sana and grinned.

And the crowd went wild. Noora, Jonas, and Chris crushed him in group hug. Sana continued to stare at him blankly, Vilde next to her patting her shoulder. Even and Eva simply gave Isak knowing looks. 

“Okay, I lived with him for half a year, and I still underestimated this bitch. How did you know?” Noora asked Eva incredulously.

“Well, his mom forced him to play landhockey for one season when he was thirteen. I mean that shit is tough as hell and I figured he just kept up his conditioning.”

“Wait, how come this is the first time I've heard of this?” Even huffed.

“Because they didn't have a boys team so he had to play with all the girls. And they kicked his ass,” replied Jonas rapidly scrolling though his phone.

“Oh. My. God. I remember you!” shouted Chris. She was jumping up and down, her arms waving spastically. “I played landhockey before I came to Nissen and I think I remember playing the only team in the league with a boy.”

“Please no, please don't remind me,” Isak muttered to himself, eyes trained to the floor, cheeks tinged red. 

“Yessssss, I was playing and I had the ball. I think you were playing defense or something. I had the ball and I went to drive the ball.”

“Oh, you're talking about that game,” Jonas and Eva snickered in unison.

“Um, what's a drive?” Vilde asked, her hand raised like she was in school.

“I am glad you asked my dear. A drive is when a player squats parallel to the ball, brings her stick up, rotates her hips, and puts her full strength into her swing. I could hit it halfway across the field.” Chris explained proudly. 

“Anyways, I drive the ball to shoot and it rockets across the field towards the goal. Isak is like right between the ball and the goal. And this ball is going like really really fast. So he screams and dives out of the way. And his kilt, which is basically a skirt, flies off while he's airborne,” laughs Chris.

“And all he's wearing underneath are Spongebob briefs,” Chris, Eva, and Jonas cheer together. They were bunched together, supporting each other so they didn't fall to the floor laughing. 

Sana was giggling like a little girl. Vilde had tears streaking down her face, leaving rivers of mascara, but she didn't seem to care as she snorted in laughter. Even was leaning entirely on Isak, his entire body shaking with laughter. Isak had his arms crossed grouchily. He couldn't decide if he wanted to hit his head on the door, or their heads. But Noora was the worst. Never before was she so unhinged. Her screeches filled the church and she clutched her stomach. She then sank to the floor and practically rolled around. Five minutes later, the raucous merriment had calmed.

“So yeah, I scored, my team won, and we named the game ‘The Battle of Bikini Bottom’.” Said Chris still chuckling slightly.

“Yeah, and my team pelted me with orange peels and sprayed me with Capri Sun for a week,” whined Isak from Even’s embrace. 

“Dramaaaa,” smirked Eva. 

“Oh my god, you sound like Penetrator Chris,” yelled Noora.

“Ah, P Chris, my name twin,” sighed Chris, wiping a fake tear from her eye. “Rest in peace sweet prince.”

“Pouring one out for my fellow party animal and formal fuckbuddy,” said Eva as she mimed emptying a bottle.

“You’re acting like he died,” said (better word) Sana.

“He’s not dead, he’s just getting his ass kicked at boot camp,” said Chris.

“He was a great vice-president of the Eva Mohn Lover’s Society,” proclaimed Jonas, his hand over his heart.

“As, secretary of said club, I second that,” said Vilde somberly.

“Wait Vilde why are you-” 

“Who the fuck is Penetrator Chris?” asked Even loudly.

“The fuck, how do you not know him? Even I, a lowly stoner, now the legend of P Chris,” scolded Jonas.

“Well I’m sorry I was too busy repeating my third year. It’s not my fault that stalking Isak became a full time profession.”

“We kissed at a Halloween party, which created a chain reaction that led to Jonas and I deciding to break up,” explained Eva.

“He was a skater boy, she said see you later boy,” chorused the girls.

“Eva and I thought that Isak and him had a secret love affair last year,” added Noora.

“Which never happened!” argued Isak. “We were organizing a fight.”

“You can fight?” snorted Even.

“No, he can’t,” corrected Jonas. “He just stood in the background while I did all the work.”

“Fuck you, I can fight. I will fight you right now.”

Isak raised his fists in a boxing position.

“Hellooooooo, the sun is outtttt,” cheered Vilde. Sure enough, the clouds had parted and sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows of the church.

“Ugh finally, one more minute with these losers and my head was going to explode,” muttered Sana.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ola again! I'm sorry that there's not a lot in this chapter about the culture of Portugal, but this chapter was supposed to be part of a bigger chapter. Next part, I'm definitely stepping up my Lisboa game. Now that there's been a lot of bonding between the characters, I can write about them bonding with the lovely city and people of Lisbon. So for those who actually want to experience Lisbon, expect more next chapter. I was thinking of having them go to a Fado house or a Benfica football game. Cast your vote in the comments. Also, I'm sorry i had to include field hockey, it's such a big part of my life rn and it's a great sport. I needed to give it a shoutout. Thank you for reading this fic and waiting for my slow updates- Kiera


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